


leave a little mark on something, maybe

by FallingTowers



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Bittersweet, Gen, I wrote this to deal with my finale feels, Sadstuck, Taako is more introspective than he lets on, This is that good "friends with wildly different lifespans" angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 12:01:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11851167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallingTowers/pseuds/FallingTowers
Summary: After Magnus dies, Merle and Taako make a point of having a drink together and catching up every now and then.





	leave a little mark on something, maybe

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of this very sad Tumblr post I made: http://falling-towers.tumblr.com/post/164303325579
> 
> I realized after writing it that I hadn't quite exorcised all my finale sadness, so I expanded it into this. Enjoy.

Magnus Burnsides passes on.

He dies of old age, in bed, surrounded by his friends. Taako wants to put him on blast for that, to get one last playful insult in, but his throat feels too thick to speak. After, at the Raven’s Roost Inn where they’re all staying, Lup knocks on his door to ask if he wants to have a beer with Barry and her. The two of them with physical bodies but not alive, but they drink, as if the alcohol will affect them; nobody talks much, and the things Taako should have said strike him one by one, too late. The energy around that table, to be frank, fucking sucks.

The next morning, they have a burial. A crowd of townspeople turns up, in mourning black: after the Day of Story and Song, after Magnus made his home in Ravenroost again, more and more people came to make lives for themselves there. The town grew back around him, little by little, like a wound healing. Magnus was their patron hero, but more than that, to many of the townsfolk, he was a friend. By unspoken accord, they respectfully let Magnus’ oldest, closest friends stand in front.

The ceremony is simple and heartfelt, like Magnus was. Merle officiates; Magnus never subscribed to any particular faith, but Merle puts a hand on the coffin and promises to put in a good word with Pan, to dolorous chuckles from the mourners.

It’s a warm morning in late spring, and the sun is shining. Summer will be here soon, with all that the season entails. Taako’s got a summer tour booked, Sizzle It Up with Ren & Taako, twenty-two shows over the course of a month. He’s looking forward to it – Ren’s a dab hand at organizational matters, and the audience turnouts on previous tours have been great. At first, Taako was afraid that people would come only to see him, that nobody would care about the cooking, but his worries were unfounded. Sure, there are those that approach him starry-eyed after shows to get his autograph and to ask about the Hunger or the Starblaster, and Taako is happy for the attention, but he surprises himself by being even happier when he looks over to see Ren surrounded by a respectable crowd of her own fans.

After the burial, Taako and the others head back to Magnus’ cottage. They gather on the lawn, in little clusters, murmuring. Behind the cottage are the dog kennels. Someone else will have to take care of the dogs, now.

“Sure you can’t stay?”

“Sorry, my man,” Lup says, and tosses her hair. “Duty calls.” She’s been gone too long already, she and Barry. The souls of the dead never sleep, and Kravitz needs all the help he can get. But they stayed for the interment, and Taako’s grateful for that.

Lup steps forward and wraps her arms around his ribcage and squeezes so hard it hurts. Taako hugs her back. “You okay, bro?” Lup asks in his ear, and Taako doesn’t quite know how to answer that, so he doesn’t. Lup doesn’t belabor the point.

Over Lup’s shoulder, he can see Barry, speaking with Lucretia. Her hearing’s going, and Barry has to lean down and speak loudly in her ear, and of course she’s wheelchair-bound now. Still, she’s spry for her age. None of them expected her to outlive Magnus, least of all Lucretia herself, not after her sacrifice of years in Wonderland. Merle and Davenport are with them, shoulder to shoulder, just like old times.

 _Old times._ Taako can’t help but laugh at that. Fuck, when did he get so sentimental? Lup breaks the hug when he laughs, and pulls back and looks at him with a sad smile. It’s true, though – it’s been long years since they saved this world, even if it feels like only yesterday. Now the old times are gone, and they’re getting to be old-timers, some more than others.

Lup and Barry hug everyone goodbye and step through a portal and leave. They take Lucretia with them, spirit her home through ethereal shortcuts so the trip won’t tax her body so much, but the others stay. They have a wake that evening, sitting around Magnus’ kitchen table and getting well and truly hammered. They tell stories of Magnus rushing in and laugh until their stomachs hurt. They revel in their late friend’s outrageous life, but more than that, they celebrate one another as well. Taako can see it in the way Carey listens in rapt attention to the anecdotes of Angus' life, in the way Davenport laughs with his arm around Merle’s shoulders. There’s nothing like a death-wake to make you feel alive.

The news will spread to the rest of the realms of the world that Magnus of Ravensroost has passed on, first of the seven saviors of the world to die. There will be grieving and memorials and celebrations of the fallen hero’s deeds. But that comes later.

 

* * *

 

Magnus’ kitchen looks exactly the way you’d expect it to. Everything is in wood, hand-carved by the man himself; the window by the sink overlooks the fenced-in yard of the kennel, where Magnus might have watched the dogs play while he cooked. There is a cozy smell of wood and smoke. There’s even a pair of dishtowels, hanging on the wall, which have a pattern of ducks on them.

No-one lives here anymore, but together, Magnus’ friends fill the little cottage with life one last time.

It’s late at night, and the noise in the little kitchen is deafening. Carey has her arm around Angus’ shoulders, shouting that there’s no way they can let a little tyke like him drink. Angus, who is as drunk as her, is laughing and trying to get a word in edgewise. Little Angus, the Boy Detective, all grown up. It’s honestly fucking criminal, in Taako’s opinion. Davenport is talking, telling Taako some nautical yarn or other, but Taako has lost the plot.

He looks down into his glass and finds himself wondering, suddenly, who’ll be the next to go. Lucretia, surely, and soon. Then who? Gnomes can live for centuries, but Davenport was no spring chicken even in the IPRE days, and Taako can see his where his moustache has grayed. Or Carey, whose scales have lost some of their old luster. Dragonborn live about as long as humans do, Taako is pretty sure; maybe a little longer.

Taako pushes the chair away from the table and stands up, and gives Davenport a smile of such brilliance that the sea captain loses his place in the story. “Sorry, my man. Geez, it’s like a sauna in here. Taako’s gotta get some fresh air.”

Outside, the town of Ravensroost sleeps. There are some fires burning, but not enough that the light obscures the sky. Taako looks up at the field of stars and imagines, not for the first time, the planes of reality, circling one another endlessly, in celestial choreography. The lawn is dewy, and Taako takes his shoes off and stands barefoot in the wet grass.

There is a sound of footsteps, and Merle comes around the corner of the cottage, adjusting his belt. Taako shoots him a crooked grin. “How are the facilities, my friend?”

“Oh, luxurious,” Merle says. “Luxurious. You been to the outhouse? Yeah, you know, you can really tell old Maggie knew his stuff. No risk of, you know, butt splinters.” He stands next to Taako, looks up at him through thick glasses. It’s dark in the yard of Magnus’ cottage, but dwarves can see in darkness. For Taako’s elf-eyes, the light from the night fires is enough to see by, and he meets Merle’s gaze. “What are you doin’ out here, buddy?” Merle asks.

“Just needed a moment,” Taako says. It is only now, in the lonely quiet, that he realizes how drunk he is. His head spins.

“Oh,” Merle says. “Well, you mind if I join ya?”

“Be my guest.”

With a grunt, Merle plops heavily down on the wet lawn, and lies on his back. Taako looks down at him and laughs.

“Come on in,” Merle urges him. “The water’s great!”

Taako laughs again, shrugs, and lies down on the grass next to the dwarf. “The grass stains are gonna be hell to get out,” he muses, but the view of the stars from this angle is hard to beat.

Merle chuckles. “It's about time you got a little closer to nature.”

The silence stretches out. From within the cottage, they can hear the muffled noises of the wake, still in full swing. Taako gives it another hour before everyone is fully knocked out. After a while, Merle speaks.

“Carey seems to be doin’ okay.”

“Yeah.” They all worried for Carey, and for Killian. Orcs burn hard and fast. A measly couple of decades of magnificent love, and then… And now Magnus is gone, too, the other half of Carey’s BFF necklace buried with him. But Carey is strong. None of them have ever doubted that.

Merle is quiet again for a while. Then he says, “It’s good to see you, buddy.” Taako can sense there’s more to Merle’s train of thought, so he doesn’t respond, and Merle continues: “It’s good, you know? I don’t blame you for not comin’ to visit – I know you’ve got a lot on your plate, Pan knows I do too – heh, get it, a lot on your plate? That one wasn’t even intentional.”

Taako grins up at the wheel of stars. “Good one, kemosabe.”

Another moment passes. There is a roar of laughter from within the cottage, at some particularly well-received goof. Merle says, “It’s just good, you know?”

“Yeah.” Taako knows. He agrees. “Yeah, it’s – it’s good.”

“Man, we had some wild times, didn’t we? We saw some shit.” There is a note of nostalgia in Merle’s voice that wrenches at Taako’s heart.

“You know, it’s – I mean, it’s fucking untenable,” Taako says, with sudden drunk feeling. He sits up and sways. “I mean, we’re the heroes who saved the world, and we can’t even find the time to catch up with each other? Fuck _that._ We won’t be here forever. Let’s hang out, okay? Whenever we’re in the neighborhood.” Then, because his sense of balance isn’t quite up to snuff right now, he lies back down.

“Yeah.” Merle’s smile is genuine. “I’d like that, buddy.” He stands up and brushes himself off. “I oughta go back inside before everyone starts wonderin’ where I’ve gone. You coming with?”

“Nah.” Taako’s head spins. He thinks maybe that last cider was a mistake. He needs a little breather before he gets back in the game. He throws up a peace sign, to let Merle know not to worry. “Taako’s good out here.”

Merle laughs. “I always said you elves can’t hold your liquor,” he teases. He claps Taako on the shoulder. “If you’re gonna pass out, pass out on your side, huh?” And he goes back inside to the wake.

Taako watches the stars.

 

* * *

 

The summer arrives, and passes. Taako’s summer tour with Ren is a resounding success. He gets a letter from Davenport, who has apparently decided to give himself some shore leave in Bottlenose Cove. The little seaside town is bustling with summer tourists, Davenport writes. That’s good, Taako thinks. It’ll be good for the economy. Davenport signs his letter the way he always does. Joyfully yours.

Lucretia dies within the year. Because she was Director of the Bureau of Benevolence, even if she had aides who did her job for her when she became old and infirm, her funeral is a much grander affair than Magnus’. The world mourns the second of its saviors to die.

Merle and Taako keep their drunken promise. When Merle goes on an Xtreme Teen Adventurers field trip, or whenever one of Taako’s shows brings him near enough to Bottlenose Cove, they meet and catch up. They go out together, and sit and shoot the shit. It’s comforting in its familiarity, even if, sometimes, there are fits and starts in their conversations, unnatural stutters, as if their rhythm is off, as if there is a third actor missing from the scene.

Taako summons up the courage, one evening, to ask Kravitz about Magnus. He’s doing well, Kravitz says; he’s with Julia now, he’s happy. Taako thinks he might cry at this news, or he would have, had he been some kind of dweeb. He asks if Kravitz could take him to see Magnus, but Kravitz says no. The dead and the living aren’t supposed to interact. Taako wheedles: can’t Kravitz make an exception for his boyfriend? But Kravitz is adamant. Taako is more disappointed than he expected, as if some door he didn’t even notice at first has now shut in front of him.

“All in due time, love,” Kravitz says to him, and traces kisses along his arm.

Taako smiles ruefully. He turns his head to meet Kravitz’ trajectory and is kissed on the lips. “Yeah,” he says. “Due time.”

Time passes.

 

* * *

 

Taako and Merle are long-lived creatures, both of them, and it’s easy to let years or even decades pass between the two of them catching up; but sooner or later, one of them always seeks the other out. Taako, still the itinerant one after all these years, is usually the one who shows up on Merle’s doorstep. More so now that Merle doesn’t travel as much as he used to. Today, the rain is lashing the gray sea off the coast, and Bottlenose Cove has battened down its hatches. A quick spell keeps the rain off Taako.

He stands underneath the streaming eaves of Merle’s beach cottage and knocks smartly on the door. He waits, and knocks again. This time, he hears something within: approaching steps, a gruff and familiar voice. “Yeah, yeah, keep your pants on!”

Taako stands back, grinning lazily. The door opens, and Merle looks up at him with nearsighted eyes and breaks into a delighted grin.

“Aw, well, shit!” he exclaims. “Taako, old buddy!”

Taako leans back, his mouth an O of mock surprise. “I didn’t think you’d recognize me!” he says, then grins mischievously, and puts his hand out for a shake. “Still haven’t gone soft in that big old melon head, huh, old man?”

Merle just barks laughter, and grabs Taako’s hand and pulls him in for a hug instead. It’s pleasant – even with one arm made of gnarled wood, Merle is a good hugger, though he’s so short that the overall effect is that of being hugged by a very gruff, burly child. “I’m still plannin’ to outlive you, you know. So, Chesney’s?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

Chesney’s Bar & Grill is their go-to drinking establishment. Merle says it’s the best bar in town, heck, maybe even in all of Faerun. Taako says that, well, it’s certainly _impressive;_ he’s never had a Bloody Mary so busted anywhere else in the world. It’s an old and well-loved exchange.

They go there now, Taako protected from the rain by his magic, Merle nearly disappearing underneath a huge umbrella. (“Any chance you could hit me with one of those as well?” Merle asks, about the spell. “Spell slots, my man,” Taako says, and shrugs.) There are a few early drinkers there already, who look up when they enter; Merle greets them all in familiar tones.

The two of them sit down at their usual table. “Boy, you haven’t aged a day,” Merle says. “You know, I never could figure out if it’s because you’re an elf or because of your glamors.”

It’s an impolite observation, but Taako loves that about Merle, his irreverence. He settles for an enigmatic grin in response, leaning back in his chair. It’s true: Taako looks exactly as he did all those years ago, during the old times. As for Merle, he’s aging well, but he’s aging. It’s obvious in the lines on his face, the way he sits down a little stiffly now. The bartender comes to take their orders (one of the perks of being saviors of the world is that they never have to go to the bar to order), and returns shorty after with their drinks.

Taako is served a Bloody Mary in a tall glass. He pokes at it with the stick of celery, appraises it, takes a sip. He meets Merle’s gaze. “You know, it’s amazing how they manage to fuck up it _differently_ every time.” (He says it loud enough for the bartender to hear. The bartender knows how Taako feels about their Bloody Mary, and loves it; there’s a little hand-painted sign on the wall behind the bar that says “WORST DRINKS IN FAERUN SERVED HERE, AS REVIEWED BY TAAKO!”)

Merle just chuckles. As always, he’s drinking a Piña Colada with an umbrella in it, traditional drink of the beach dwarves.

The conversation flows well enough, and when it doesn’t, they’ve both learned to navigate the silence with grace. Those silences are companionable, now, not stilted. Merle tells Taako about Mavis, how she’s basically running the family business now, leaving Merle more or less a retiree, and about her engagement to a very nice young hill dwarf lady. Taako tells Merle anecdotes from the road, and anecdotes from extraplanar vacations with Kravitz.

The fact goes unmentioned that their table, the one they always sit at every time they’re here, has three chairs. The two of them pretend like it’s coincidence, but it’s not. It’s a sentimental gesture, one so banal they’re embarrassed to acknowledge it.

Towards the end of the evening, though, after they’ve had a few drinks, and the conversation once again stalls in that odd manner which suggests that it’s missing a third participant, Taako lifts his glass and tilts it towards the empty chair. He says, amazed at the lack of irony in his own voice: “Well, cheers, big guy.”

Across the table, Merle looks down into his drink, and says, “Yeah,” and he toasts the air as well.


End file.
